Elastic suspension device for the frames of automobiles and other vehicles.



w. J. P. MOORE. ELASTIC SUSPENSION DEVICE FOR -THE FRAMES 0F AUTOMOBILES- AND APPLICATION FILED JAN. 3. 1916. I 1,243,752.,

OTHER VEHICLES.

Patented Oct. 23,1917.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

Patented Oct. 23, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

. following is a s ecification, reference-being: had therein tot e accompanying drawings. 2

my invention:

' WILLIAM (LP. MOORE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ELASTIC SUSPENSION DEVICE FOR THE FRAMES OF AUTOMOBILES AND OWE I VEHICLES.

Specification of Iaetters Patent.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM J. P. Moon, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, .have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Elastic Suspension Devices for the Frames of Automobiles and other Vehicles, of which the This invention has to do with the flexible suspension of the frame and body of an automobile or othervehicle' upon the axle and wheels thereof, and has for its object the substitution of an air-cushion for metallic s rings of all kinds, which cushionwill be .e astic and resilient so that the body of the vehicle willnot sustain shocksor jars. Another object is to provide resilient members which will bemore iefl'ective' in. use thanspringsmore durable, and'more "economical, besides producing better results in 'useinasmuch as they can bemore readily repaired,:

or new ones'substitu'ted. The invention consists essentially in employing between the frame and the. axle,both' atfthe front and 'j.

rear, suitable elastic cushions; also in usin for this purpose hollowj casings or shoes 0 rubber or other elastic .fabric or material,

within which are inflatable. inner tubes which can be umped fullof air in the same "manner that t e inner tubesof tires are now commonly filled; "and theinvention furthermore comprises numerousdeta1ls and peculiarities in the construction, combination claims.

In the accompanying drawing illustrating Figure 1 is a planview-ofthe front 'end of a vehicle frame constructed and adapted for use with my improved neumatic suspension means, one side of t e frame being shown in horizontalsection.

F" 2 is a plan view of the rear end of this grame whichis broken away from the first part, as the entire frame could not be: properly represented in the'lengthof a single sheet.

Fig. 3 a side elevation of that portion:

ofthe frame represented in Fig.1.

; rear.

' Fig. 4. is a side elevation ofthe portion of the frame shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a vertical section on an enlarged scale on the line 5, 5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is'a similar verticals'ection on the Patented 0ct.23, rear.

into the other parallel parts which extend to the opposite end of-the frame as shown in Fig. 2. The sides 1, 1 may lpartake of any desired 'form' and design,

usuall be made of some light metallic con struction which will be stiff and durable and ut they willof proper dimensions and shape to easily a hold within it the resilicntcushioning devices which form the essential features of the invention. On the ends the elongated sides It, .1 are preferably widened vertically at 2 in the front and at 2 in, the rear to afiord.

structures which will contain the air cushions in the form of tubes, or otherwise, and

through which may I ass the axles of the can. 3 denotes the ront axle, and 4 the rear axle. These elongated sides are tied together-or connected in any desired manner,

asfor instance by the cross-struts or tie rods 5 placed at intervals at the front and I Referring now seenthatthe sides 2 which. are preferabl wider opposite to the axle are provided wit (see Fig. 5) which nds maybe of greater or less width and curvature,.and WlllCll are welded or otherwise firmly secured to the flanges .6 and to the enlarged sections 2 of theside 1. The bands or rings? provide therefore portions of the frame which receive and support the. inflated rubber memher or members by means ofwhich the pneumatic suspension efiect is secured.

.. Inside of each ring 7 and parallel thereto at top and bottom and concentricgtherewith to thefront end of the frame shown in Figs. 1-, 3 .and'5, it will be loo g 10s so far as the curved parts are concerned, is;

the smaller oval-shaped ring 8, similar in purpose to a clencher'rim and having an in tegral flange 9 at one side and a detachable ring 10 at the other side which is seated in a groove ii in the outer edge of the ring 8. This oval clencher ring is secured to the axle 3 by means of intervening angle plams 12 which are welded or otherwise secured to the ring 8 and also to the axle 3 as shown in Fig. 3

Between each rin 7 and its companion clencher band 8 is t e oval casing or shoe 1?, and inside of it is an inflatable inner tube 14:. This tube it is provided with'an suitable air valve of the various well own types, as indicated at 16; also, ll find it convenient to use astrip of rubber or fabric, as shown at 15, to fill the space between the flanges of the shoe 1? and between the in,' nor tube and said flanges as wn in Fig 5. The inner tube may beomitted at times and simply an endless tube or rod of elastic material used which may have any shape, I

At the other end of the frame the coir struction and arrangement of the parts are substantially the same as l have already described and the pneumatic suspension means is similarly arranged and combined; Referring to Figs. 2, l, and 6, it will be seen that theenlarged end 2 of the main frame 1 is provided with a lateral curved oval flange 6 similar to the flange 6 in the other ii 1'; of the drawing, and that beneath the ange 6 within the frame it and adjacent. to the member 2 is located an oval orelliptical ring or member'lti which is similar to the member 7 in the other figures of the drawing, the same being designed to receive within it a shoe l6 similarto the shoe or casing used with automobile tires, within which shoe is an inflatable tube 17, which when inflated binds the shoe or casing 16 tightly against the oval member 18 and also holds it firmly in the central oval band or member 19, which is parallel or concentric with the oval member 18, having at one edge an into-- gral curved flange 20 and at the other a detachable ring 21, between which fiange 20 and 21 the side flanges oi the shoe 16 are firmly held. Any kind of an air valve,

as indicated'at 20 may be used with the inner tube lE and I also find it convenient to employ a strip of rubber or fabric 22 between the il -ranges of the shoe and between the inner tube and said flanges, so as to fill up the space and hold the parts together in better form. The inner member or rim 19, which is in efiect a clencher rim havingg, flange and a detachable ring, is welded or otherwise I firmlysecured to a casting 2]. having preferably a splined or grooved opening 23 which receives the axle 4:. The casting 21 is made in any preferred form, but customarily is shaped with projections which lie hat 2* incense 7 against the member 19 and are-welded there to as already stated. A

It will thus be seen that between the axle and the body of the vehicle, which body is mounted on the frame 1, l, l interpose filled receptacles in lieu of metallic springs, which receptacles have an elasticity and flexibility which is superior to ordinary springs,- and are more durable, cheaper, simpler in arrangement, and less likely to break when the vehicle encounters violent shocks against stones or deep ruts in the road. When once the inner tubeis inflated it will remain so, unless the air valve should leak, of which thereis very little danger, but in base of any leakage taking place through the valve or possibly through the material of the rubber or fabric of which thetubes and shoes are compose ,all that is reofiiired is simply to attach a pump and fill t e inner tube with additional pressure to supplement the loss.

A collapse of the inner tube through the entire loss of its air would involve no disaster to thestructure of the vehicle, but would req uire only a pumpin up of the tube. Unlike the situation of the parts of a tire which are exposed topunctures and blow-outs and other dangers on the road, there is nothing of this kind which can possibly afiect the parts of a pne a atic suspension which is inclosed and protected by the frame as mine are and sheathed by the metallic encircling rings 7 and. 18 so that l secure in a yielding body support, as it were, all the advantages llli which are usually gained by the wheel in the use of; inflated tires without running the risk oat-any ofthe disadvantages and accidents.

Manychanges in the precise construction and arrangement of the parts may he made without exceeding the sec c of the invention, and l therefore, reserve t e liberty of varying and modifying the details of saidin vention in the great variety of cases where it is applicable provided l do not go beyond I the scope of the claims. a

Having thus described my invention, what tors Patent,'is: v

l. In a vehicle frame, the combination of apertured side bers having lateral flanges, an axle, sheaths secured to the flanges and to the frame within the openings, bands surrounding the axle at a dis tance from the sheaths, and inflated cush ions teammate bands and sheaths consistin able tube, v I 2. ln a vehicle frame, the combination of side member-shaving openings thereinand lateral oval flanges encircling'said openings an axle passing through the openings, oval sheaths secured to the flanges and to the.

frame wit the openings, correspondinglyshapedbands surrounding the axle; at a oils of an outer casing' and an inner at-' Mill lllb

llllll- V ll claim as new and desire to secure by Let- Y tance from the sheaths, and inflated cushioning devices between theibands and sheaths consisting essentially of an outer casing and an inner inflatable tube.

3. In a vehicle frame, the combination of side members -having openings therein and lateral endless flanges encirclin said openings, an axle passing through the openings, a bearing for said axle, an endless sheath secured Within each opening and supported by the flange, an endless band surrounding the 'WILLIAM J. P. MOQRE. 

